Charlie Chaplin's Love Life

[Midge]

This discussion has been moved from Table #11 - Italian Men.

kimmer said:

I wonder if there's a record for consecutive decades for having kids??

I suspect Charlie Chaplin may hold that record.

[Hedvig]

How many children did he have?

I read recently that Ingmar Bergman had nine kids. Nine! But Chaplin may have had more.

Leni Riefenstahl's mother was one out of 21 children. Her mother died after giving birth to her. She was the 18th child. Then her father remarried and had three more.

[Larry's 66 Diner]

In that thread, Midge had mentioned the following:

midge said:

Charlie Chaplin was married four times and fathered a total of 11 children: one in the nineteen teens; two in the 1920's, three in the 1940's; four in the 1950's and one in the 1960's. He died in 1977.

Quite shocking, isn't it?!?!

Incidentally, Kimmer had mentioned a biography which Chaplin's second wife, Lita Grey Chaplin had written, which detailed her life with him. The biography is entitled My Life With Chaplin: An Intimate Memoir.

Kimmer, I found the book and ordered it. It only cost $5.78 and that included shipping! It just arrived today! Thank you for telling me about that! :thumbsup:

[Hedvig]

That sounds fascinating. I've just been reading Chaplin's own memoirs. He doesn't even mention LIta Grey, saying he wouldn't go into that because the children he had with her were still alive. I thought that was nice of him, although I know some people were disappointed that he left things out.

[Larry's 66 Diner]

So what you're saying is that it's not a completely honest autobiography, huh?

Well, I'm anxious to read Lita's book, although it will probably be a short while before I'm able to actually sit down and read it. But I'm looking forward to it! :thumbsup:

[Larry's 66 Diner]

Okay, I couldn't resist! Here are some photographs of Lita Grey's biography of her life with the great comedian! Be sure to especially read the inside dust jacket covers!

[Larry's 66 Diner]

Oh my Gosh! Check out these first four pages! I've already begun in the book!

[Kimmer]

It was a really interesting book!! I'm sure you'll enjoy it Larry!!

[Kimmer]

Charles Chaplin, Jr. also wrote a book about his father that was interesting, not cruel, just honest. I enjoyed it too. He died when he was quite young of an embolism following a broken ankle (if I remember correctly)

His brother Sidney had a show business career, but seemed to be better known for his love life. He was involved with Joan Collins in the 1950's and she wrote quite alot about him!! He also was the original "Nicky Arnstein" in "Funny Girl." I used to have the soundtrack, he had a nice singing voice.

Both of those men were quite handsome.

[Hedvig]

That looks like a juicy story, doesn't it...

[Midge]

Larry, thanks for sharing the book with us. What a find!

[Larry's 66 Diner]

hedvig said:

That looks like a juicy story, doesn't it...

I've already begun Chapter One last night, while I was lying in bed. It definitely looks like it's getting interesting! :nervous: :devilish:

[diane]

Wow that is certainly juicy. I used to but a film magazine called "Filmfax" and in one
of the first that I purchased there was a very detailed article about Lita Grey Chaplin.
At 16 you would have to say she was an innocent party - but her mother came across
as very pushy. It was "Filmfax" issue 39.

[Kimmer]

hedvig said:

That looks like a juicy story, doesn't it...

It definitely was, I remember reading it when I was in high school and finding it much more educational than "health" class! LOL ;D

[Kimmer]

Ok, who jumped into my message and said that health class was boring?! Not that I disagree, but I didn't say that.... :huh:

[Midge]

No, I said that! I'll take the rap. I didn't enjoy health class very much. Maybe you did. But we're getting off topic here. I have heard that some Chaplin supporters claim that Lita's book is full of lies. I wonder how they could know this when they weren't there, and she was?

[Kimmer]

Weird....you might've said it, but it's in my section!! Maybe you hit "modify" instead of "quote?" I also thought "Health" was a boring class, that's why books were so much more educational! ;D

It always annoys me when people who weren't there think they have the right to say whether someone else's stories are accurate or not. If we weren't there, we have no right to say anything in regards to accuracy. I'm with Lita on this one!! :thumbsup:

[Kimmer]

I just looked her up on IMDb....when they were married, she was 16, he was 35. At the time of their divorce, she received what was then the biggest monetary award in an American divorce.

She died in 1995 at the age of 87.

[Midge]

Ooops, Kimmer, I just went back to look at the message and I see what you mean. Yes, I probably did hit "modify." I'll go fix it right now.

[Midge]

kimmer said:

hedvig said:

That looks like a juicy story, doesn't it...

It definitely was, I remember reading it when I was in high school and finding it much more educational than "health" class! LOL ;D

All right, take two: Oh, God! What could be more boring than health class?

You have to imagine that I posted this before Kimmer said "Who jumped in the thread . . . ."

[Kimmer]

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[diane]

IMDb also said that she provided the name and some of
the inspiration for "Lolita".
Charlie Chaplin seemed to have a habit of marrying young
girls. Mildred Harris was only 17 when she and Chaplin were
wed. Wasn't Oona O'Neill quite young as well?

[Midge]

Yes, she was 18 when she married Chaplin. He was <gulp> 54!

[Larry's 66 Diner]

midge said:

Yes, she was 18 when she married Chaplin. He was <gulp> 54!

That is one third his age! One half is already bad enough, but one third?!?!?!?! Geez!!!! :huh:

[Midge]

I'm 58, and I could not even imagine marrying a man one-third my age. I've often suspected that any man who can only love very young women is threatened by a mature woman with a mind of her own. He want a naive, docile playmate who will worship him as a god, mold herself to his lifestyle, and accept his eccentricities because she doesn't know any better.

The modern-day equivalent of Chaplin is Woody Allen. Soon Yi is his Oona.

[Hedvig]

Well, that could be true. Chaplin wrote that he liked Mary Pickford, but was saddened by her good business sense. He didn't explain why that bothered him. In his autobiography he related a story where she said something at one of their meetings, and he and Douglas Fairbanks started laughing at her because they thought her seriousness was funny.

He didn't like being directed by Mabel Normand either, partly because he thought he had better ideas than her, but also because she was a woman. He was a product of his time, I guess.

[Kimmer]

Besides Woody Allen, another comparison that has been made is of Chaplin and Roman Polanski who has made no secret of his affection for young girls.

I totally agree with your statement, Midge. I think that when men date women who are so much younger than they are, they're just trying to be the person who's the "educator" and the "boss." No one should date anyone who they could be the parent of IMO.

[Midge]

Sometimes it doesn't work out the way you'd think. My father's second marriage was to a woman twenty years younger; but she was quite a character and she ended up bossing HIM. He seemed to like it, though. They had their ups and downs they divorced and he remarried, but they eventually reconciled after his third divorce and were still together 26 years later when he died.

[diane]

I used to see all Woody Allen's movies way back and admired him so much as a
director. Then all that "ickiness' happened and I thought he was so different to the
way he was in reality. I hadn't seen a film of his in years and a few months ago I
saw "Matchpoint" and I thought it was a fantastic film - I can heartily recommend it
to people who like quality films - the plot was an updated version of "A Place in the
Sun".

[Midge]

All that "ickiness" affected my opinion of Woody Allen as well. His private life was that distasteful to me. I even started seeing hints about his incestuous tendencies and his obsession with younger women in all his old films, particularly Manhattan and Hannah and her Sisters. For that reason, I had to stop watching his movies for quite a while. He just wasn't funny any more. Now I've gotten over that. I've been meaning to rent Match Point because I've heard a lot of good things about him now. For all his faults, like Chaplin he is an extraordinary filmmaker and a one-of-a-kind talent.